This invention relates to a propulsion and suspension system for an inductive repulsion type, magnetically levitated vehicle, and more specifically, to a magnetically levitated ("maglev") vehicle which is propelled and suspended by a system which includes the use of two sets of superconducting magnets: one set for vehicle stabilization and levitation and the other set for propulsion and guidance. The invention further includes the option of using shielding on the guideway in lieu of on the vehicle.
Maglev development began more than two decades ago in the United States, Germany, Japan, Canada and England. In the United States, renewed interest has been directed toward magnetic levitation transportation systems in view of such factors as energy conservation, high speed transportation at ground level, economic and environmental problems associated with conventional systems, and competition from West Germany and Japan.
The use of an electrodynamic suspension to provide levitation in maglev systems is well known in the prior art (see further, U.S. Pat. No. 3,470,828, issued Oct. 7, 1969, to Powell et al). Several systems include a linear synchronous motor with electrodynamic repulsion system to provide propulsion by magnetic means (see further, U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,511, issued Jun. 11, 1974, to Dukowicz et al).
A number of methods of using magnetic forces to suspend, guide, and propel vehicles have been described in the literature of which there are two basic suspension concepts: one called Electromagnetic System (EMS) utilizes the attractive force between controlled d.c. electromagnets and ferromagnetic rails while the other called the Electrodynamic System (EDS) utilizes the repulsive force between eddy currents induced in non-ferromagnetic metal conductors and superconducting magnets (SCM's) propelled relative to the conductors through the use of long-stator linear synchronous motors (LSM). The EDS system has many advantages over EMS and other maglev systems. It can provide a large suspension height, reducing the required stiffness and the required precision alignment of the guideway supporting structure. These factors can substantially reduce guideway construction and maintenance costs and allow the system to run safely at high speeds. The EDS system can also achieve a high payload efficiency because the air-core superconducting magnets used on board the vehicle are lightweight. In addition, because the EDS system is inherently stable, it does not need complicated feedback control for leviation as does the EMS system.
It is possible to improve the power factor of the LSM by increasing the current in the superconducting coils; however, this leads to a potential shortcoming of the EDS system, the presence of a moderately strong magnetic field in the passenger cabin. From the propulsion-system-performance point of view, it is necessary to keep current density in the SCM's as high as possible. By maintaining the high current density, the LSM can be operated so as to compensate for the inductive reactance of the long stator LSM windings and thus, allow the length of the energized guideway to be increased without an excessively low power factor. But, such a requirement is in conflict with the requirement to minimize the field strength in the passenger compartment. Shielding is one method of reducing the magnetic field experienced by the passenger compartment; however, shielding the passenger compartment from the magnetic field with a ferromagnetic material often results in a reduction in overall performance of the maglev vehicle due to the increased weight. The field experienced by the passenger compartment can also be reduced by reducing the number of SCM's and by placing them at the ends of the vehicle as proposed by the Japanese for their commercial EDS system. However, concentrating the SCM's at the ends of the vehicle can introduce space harmonics to the propulsion system which may affect the performance of the LSM and cause ride comfort problems. Limiting the number of SCM's may also reduce the length of the energized motor section and complicate power distribution.
Generally, the SCM's or the electromagnets are mounted in the lower part of the vehicle; the iron rails used in the EMS system or the nonferromagnetic conductors used in the EDS system are mounted on the fixed guideway. The propulsion system most frequently used for either the EMS or EDS suspension is the linear synchronous motor (LSM). The LSM consists of windings placed on the guideway that are energized by an external source of 3-phase or multiphase power. The 3-phase or multiphase excitation of the windings produces a traveling magnetic wave that interacts with the onboard magnets and moves the vehicle along the guideway at a synchronous speed, a speed equal to that of the traveling magnetic wave.
The Japanese MLU-002 electrodynamic suspension system is one of the most highly developed systems of this type in the world. Superconducting magnets on the vehicle react against conventional, normally conducting, coils in the guideway. In early tests, the superconducting magnets were placed in a horizontal position and reacted against horizontal coils on the bottom of the guideway. The superconducting magnets were later redesigned and located vertically, reacting with horizontal coils on the guideway for levitation and vertical coils located on the sidewalls of the guideway for propulsion and guidance. The guidance is achieved by cross connecting the propulsion coils in a null-flux configuration to reduce the electromagnetic drag. In a more recent version, the Japanese have replaced the horizontal suspension coils mounted on the guideway floor with "FIG. 8" null flux suspension coils mounted on the guideway vertical walls. Linear synchronous propulsion coils are also located on the sidewalls, but since they are symmetrically located with respect to the null-flux coils, they do not interact with them.
One of the shortcomings of the existing EDS systems, such as the Japanese MLU and a Canadian concept design is that both systems use single-sided LSM's for propulsion in which only half of the total magnetic field generated by the SCM's is used. The unused portion of the field contributes to the field in the passenger car.
In the invention described herein, the SCM's are separated into weak field and strong field SCMs. The strong field SCM are mounted vertically on a vertical undercarriage at a suitable distance below the vehicle to substantially reduce the field strength within the passenger cabin. Guideway mounted propulsion coils laterally bound the strong field SCM's. These coils are excited by a multiphase external power source creating a traveling magnetic wave. The strong field SCMs interact with the coils on either side to operate as a double sided LSM system. This arrangement acts to limit the magnetic field above the magnets. Weak field SCMs are attached to the vehicle and are used only for stabilization and levitation to further minimize the field strength associated with the passenger areas. In one form of the embodiment, magnetic shielding is located on the guideway to reduce the vehicle weight.
The repulsive suspension and guidance force is generated by the interaction between a rapidly changing magnetic field generated by superconducting magnets aboard the moving vehicle and eddy currents induced in the conductive guideway. The conductive guideway can be made of a continuous sheet of a non-magnetic conductor, such as aluminum, or of discrete coils, loops or slotted hollow tubular type structures of similar material.
It is an object of this invention to employ two types of superconducting magnets of different field strength: a group of strong field SCM mounted vertically underneath the vehicle for propulsion and guidance and a group of weak field SCM at the end of the vehicle for suspension and guidance.
It is a further object of this invention to vary the location of the magnetic shielding to optimize performance.
Additional advantages, objects and novel features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following and by practice of the invention.